Nina sat at the table with Eloise, Blanche, and Léon outside enjoying the cool breeze. Luckily the summer was as good as over and Nina wasn't sweating like a pig anymore, it can get a lot colder if it was up to her. Most people would already wear a coat, but Nina was still sticking to her black leather skirt and her white blouse with ribbons in front. Blanche always had it cold and was wearing her coat already, black ribbons on the back that highlighted her waist. Eloise was still team dress with her fiery red dress, it was hard to see the difference between her hair and dress that was the same color. The only thing separating the two was her blue denim jacket. Léon was wearing a dark blue jean and a gray long-sleeved T-shirt with a v-line that accented his collarbone perfectly, that was what Nina at least thought. Everyone in school was talking about what they heard, the strange things that were happening in the woods lately.
"Did you hear that there was an animal in the woods?" Eloise said, shoving some bread into her mouth.
"Come on, they haven't even found anything." Blanche Laughed and tugged herself deeper inside her coat to stay warm. Nina didn't even listen to a word they were saying; she heard the rumors all over the school when no one could seem to stop talking about it. So, Nina was right and there was an animal out there. But every time she was there, there wasn't anything, only the voices in her head. While Nina kept staring at Léon, the same piece of skin that her eyes always traveled to, his neck. She took a bite at her sausage when Léon noticed her staring and he and he directly stared back at her and almost made Nina choke on her sausage.
"We don't have to worry about it because we're not here tomorrow," Léon said and winked at Nina, catching her off guard. She quickly looked away and pretended that she didn't do anything, taking a big bite of her sausage again.
"There is probably not even anything in the woods. Just some stories to keep the people out." Blanche said.
"Well, it's working, I can't even go anymore, they are constantly walking around with their flashlights. How am I supposed to find out what that place in the woods means if I can't get there?" Nina yelled.
"After some time, they will stop and realize that there was nothing out there".
Blanche replied and stole a sausage from Nina's lunchbox.
"You can go back after it's over." Eloise smiled at her.
"And how long is that going to take?" Nina pulled in a deep breath and looked at the trees from the woods in the distance. Her surge has been put on hold, now she can't go in or she'd be caught.
School was finally over and Nina was ready to go back home, but the teacher wanted to say one more thing before everyone left out of the school building. Nina was sitting at the back of the classroom, stuffing books into her Bordeaux backpack while Mrs. Noël was talking.
"Be sure to be on time for the school trip, the bus will leave at nine in the morning."
She said and she pulled her blond bob out of the way for a good day at school and that she could finally go home. Mrs. Noël was the history teacher in a school and taught all the students here in school. She was also Nina's favorite teacher so far and Nina loved history, maybe that's the reason why she liked her so much. The day turned into the night when Nina was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Having the strangest dream about a woman. The woman was wearing a long silk white dress with a furry black coat. Beautiful pearl earrings that match her necklace and bracelet. Snow white hair like ice that was tied together into a braided bun with a fresh purple flower on the left side. She looked like a queen you see in the movies, sparkling from head to toe. Nina didn't understand what she was saying when she was speaking to her but for some reason, she recognized the language. Nina looked around in the room she was standing in, a beautiful antique room with golden baroque architecture on the walls and ceiling. Paintings, from families, all with white hair and blue eyes. There was this one painting of a little boy and girl, they looked so much alike. Nina walked further and followed the woman when she saw a man and the woman holding a little girl in their arms in one of the paintings she was passing. The girl looked so familiar but she didn't know from where and looked deep into her ocean blue eyes. There were even more paintings of other people on the walls, older ones from when they were younger. One family next to the other one. A couple, a parent, And a baby, all framed in pure gold. Nina looked back at the woman who was opening two gigantic wooden French doors as the cold air blew inside. She held out her hand and Nina accepted it and walked outside into the snow with her. There was snow everywhere while Nina walked with her bare feet in the cold snow. There were mountains, and trees covered in snow. The woman lifted her dress, revealing her bare feet, and smiled at Nina. Nina looked behind her at the building they were in a moment ago and noticed that the house they were standing in, was a gigantic castle at the top of the mountain. Nina's eyes flashed open looking at the old boring ceiling of her room in the orphanage. Those strange dreams again. What are they trying to tell me?